Cover and seal construction for transformer tanks or the like



COVER AND SEL CONSTRUCTION FOR TRANSFORMER TANKS OR THE LIKE Fled Feb. 12, 1946 March 3, 1951 s HORELICK ET AL l 2,544,789

130 Ja I'. l. 2.50

54444444 7 7 y y A x X 14 h INVENTORS Samue/ Hare/ick and lPoberfCISeffon m W zp Patented Mar. 3, 195 1 COVER AND SEAL CONSTRUCTION FOR TRANSFORMER TANKS ou THE LIKE Samuel Horelick and Robert C. Sefton, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to Pennsylvania Transformer Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 12, 1946, Serial No. 647,066

Claims.

rial of which gaskets are usually made deteriorates after several years and requires replacement to maintain a gas-tight seal. In order to avoid this difficulty, it has been proposed to weld the cover to the tank flange. This is objectionable, however, because the weld has to be chipped cif in order to obtain access to the interior, which is a difficult operation and also entails the danger that chips of the weld will fall into the tank where they are apt to cause damage to the transformer Windings. A further objection to the welded cover as heretofore proposed is that a weld at the joint between surfaces in iiatwise abutting engagement may readily break under the pressure existing in transformer tanks which may, sometimes, be as high as lbs. per square inch or even higher. This pressure causes flexing of the cover which in turn results in cracking of the weld.

We have invented a novel tank cover and seal construction which overcomes the aforementioned objections and provides an air-tight closure which can readily be opened in case of necessity. In a preferred embodiment, we provide a flange on the tank spaced below the upper edge thereof and extending outwardly from the side wall. A sealing strip is welded to this flange and the overhanging edge of the cover. We may also provide means independent of the sealing strip for securing the cover to the tank wall such as studs onthe cover cooperating with lugs on the wall or pins inserted through the wall and lugs depending from the cover.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description which refers to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a transformer tank having the invention incorporated therein;

Figure 2 is a portion of Figure 1 to enlarged scale; and

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are views similar to Figure 2 showing modications.

Referring in detail to the drawings, a transformer tank ID comprises a bottom-ll, a side wall l2 and a cover [3. The bottom ll is welded to the side wall 2 which may be of any desired shape in horizontal section, i. e., circular, rectangular or elliptical. The cover l3 is simply a flat or domed plate adapted to lie on the upper edge of the side wall. The edge of the cover projects outwardly beyond the side wall at all points as indicated at l3a, The interior of the tank is adapted to accommodate a transformer of any desired size and a Cooling bath of oil therefor.

An outwardly extending ilange [4 is welded to the side wall I2 a short distance below the upper edge thereof. The fiange is in the form of a, continuous ring cut from plate. The cover l3 may have downwardly extending studs [5 welded to the lower surface thereof in circumferentially spaced relation. Lugs IS having holes therethrough to accommodate the studs 35 are welded to the side wall l2 between the ilange I4 and the upper edge of the wall. of studs and lugs may be employed, depending on the total pressure which may be developed on th cover. Instead of separate lugs IG, we may use a continuous ring having holes spaced therearound. With this construction, the plate 13, when properly positioned on the tank with the studs extending through the holes in the lugs, may be firmly secured thereon by turning up nuts on the studs and tightening them by means of a wrench. The studs and lugs may be emitted, however, where the internal pressure is not likely to be great, as in the case of small transformers. Figure 5 shows such a construction in which a narrow sealing strip Ha closes the space between the edge l3a and the flange [4,

A sealing strip ll extends around the cover [3' and flange ld and is welded thereto, thereby closing and sealing the joint between the cover and tank. The joint between the ends of the strip Il is welded, preferably in such manner as to leave a tongue projecting from one end, whereby the strip may be removed by rolling in the manner of the tearing strip of a key-opening can. The welds between the strip and the cover and ilange are broken progressively as the sealing strip is rolled up. The nuts or the studs IS are thus exposed for removal. In this way, access to the interior ofthetank may easily behad when desired." At, the same time, there is no danger that fragments' of the weld metal will get into the tank, since'the sealing strip is entirelyremoved before thecover istaken off. If the studs IS are used, furthermore, the welds are not stressed by Any suitable number tion to said opening, a removable cover for said opening having a periphery extending beyond said opening in spaced relation to the periphery of said flange, securing members iiXed to said cover and' extending generally toward said "Hanga, said securing members and said container having adjacent and laterally extending registering holes in registry When said cover is n closure position relatve to said opening, pine adapted to be pushed inte engagement With said registering holes When said cover is n said closure position to lock said cover n place, and a sealing strip removably and continuously welded along its respective edges to the respective peripheries of said I'lange in said cover, said sealing strip being spaced from said pins at a distance sufcient to prevent their disengage- 6' A ment from said holes When said sealing strip is in place.

SAMUEL HORELICK.

ROBERT C. SEFTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 238338 Broughton Mar. 1, 1881 1,400,515 Bingay Dec. 20, 1921 2,110,841 Maier Mar. 8, 1938 2,128,093 James Aug. 23, 1938 2,287,869 Ehrman June 20, 1942 2,417,769 Leonard et al. Mar. 18, 1947 

